LETTER: Des Moines Police Guild endorses City Council candidates

[EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a Letter to the Editor, written and submitted by a verified group. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Waterland Blog, nor its staff:]

The Des Moines Police Guild is pleased to endorse Luisa Bangs, Rob Back, and Jeremy Nutting for re-election to the Des Moines City Council in their respective positions. A formal endorsement process is available and accepts requests for endorsements from individuals seeking office, though the Des Moines Police Guild is not responsible for contacting candidates. After review and consideration, the Des Moines Police Guild recognizes and appreciates the background and dedication to public safety Luisa, Rob and Jeremy provide.

Thank you in part to these three candidates, the police department has been staffed with new positions and funded for the first time in nearly a decade. By keeping a constant line of communication, and asking the right questions, Luisa, Rob and Jeremy have been able to respond by helping provide the proper resources to support the police department. These resources include, the implementation of a street crimes unit partnered with the U.S. Marshals Service, a dedicated detective assigned to the ATF Violent Crimes Task Force, a dedicated traffic enforcement and education officer, an additional school resource officer at Highline High School while temporarily located in Des Moines, joining the multi-jurisdictional Valley SWAT and Hostage Negotiation team to effectively respond to high risk incidents and other resources necessary to combat crime and keep the community safe.

Although the issues that previously hindered the police department have been resolved, these candidates along with the other members of the City Council have continued to communicate and work with us. Whether reaching out to see how they can help improve public safety and law enforcement or showing up in person to ride along with officers to get a first-hand experience, the City Council has been consistent with their support regardless of our endorsements. This truly captures the essence of the police as well as what it means to be a public servant.

Their commitment to serve the City of Des Moines and the emphasis they have shown related to public safety and law enforcement, and their continued communication with the department made this an easy decision. We look forward to continuing these efforts to keep our citizens and law enforcement officers safe. We look forward to our continued partnership with the City Council to include Luisa, Rob, and Jeremy, helping make our community a better place to live and work.

President – Justin Cripe

Vice President – Isaac Helgren

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